More Sapphire Ring Problems

[IndyGemLover]

Hello,

I recently posted a topic regarding the repair to my sapphire ring and the resulting ordeal. The original thread is here: (https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/firecoat-on-blue-sapphire.83403/).

Several diamonds were loose in my 14kt yellow gold sapphire and diamond ring. After speaking to jeweler at great length by phone I took my ring in and it was decided the channel around the diamonds needed to be built back up along with the bezel around the sapphire at a cost of $500.00 plus tax.

The jeweler had the ring for 16 days. Upon picking it up I noticed some sort of film on the sapphire. Once home I proceeded to clean it several times but was unable to remove the film. I returned my ring to the jeweler the next day and had to convince him there was a problem. He offered to soak it in a "pickle solution" for a few days thinking that would remove the film. It did not. The film was caused by the bench jeweler’s use of Firecoat/Boric Acid, a major no-no on corundum as it can etch and damage the surface of the stone.

So, the jeweler removed my sapphire and sent it out to NY to be re-polished, the only way to remove the film. I asked the jeweler to call me if there were any problems with my sapphire being re-polished and he agreed. However; because of some damage to one side of the girdle, which may or may not have been present prior to it being removed from the mounting, the crown of the stone had to be re-cut before it could be re-polished. The jeweler did not call to discuss this with me first.

Re-cutting the sapphire resulted in a smaller stone diameter and carat weight loss. It also has ruined the faceting on the crown of the sapphire as the facets are now extremely oddly cut. The stone was in NY for a little over 3 weeks.

Throughout all this jeweler acted as though he was doing me some sort of favor and even said if were it not for the fact I was so calm and pleasant about it he would not have been willing to help me. He frequently mentioned what it was costing him in labor and to have the stone polished and cut.

Meanwhile he said for me to call him on a specific date to see if stone was back from NY so I could see it prior to be mounted in my ring. Instead, when I called, I was told ring would be ready to pick up two days later. I then explained that I wanted to see my sapphire before it was mounted as we previously agreed.

I made an appointment to go in to see my sapphire the next day and was not pleased with it. The jeweler had another sapphire that he offered to mount in my ring instead of mine. He said I could keep my original sapphire if I paid wholesale for the new one or give him my original stone in exchange for the new one. Because this ring is extremely important to me I elected to keep the original stone although I was not happy.

The area where the diamond channel was rebuilt and attached is quite obvious and I had jeweler polish it some more but was told that once the gold became scratched it wouldn''t show. Guess what, it still shows.

So, tonight I heard a rattle and took out my microscope and inspected my ring. Under 10X I was able to see sapphire moves significantly in bezel. In addition 4 diamonds are loose in their channel and either rotate or move from side to side. Sapphire almost looks as though it is chipped under the bezel at one end but I cannot tell if it is a reflection for the bezel or not. Jeweler said bezel would have to be rebuilt to accommodate the smaller sapphire diameter but now I don’t think they did because it is loose. After the sapphire was re-cut and re-polished there were no chips. So, now I wonder if they chipped it when they mounted it.

I just purchased a replacement sapphire for my ring and plan to keep the original because it means so much to me.

I don''t know how best to handle this. I do plan on making an Angie''s List report. The jeweler had my ring for 6 weeks total and it still isn’t correct.

Any suggestions?

A picture of my ring prior to repair is below:

 

[IndyGemLover]

This is my ring after it was repaired. Notice the difference in faceting and size.

 

[IndyGemLover]

This picture shows where repair was made to diamond channel. In it you can see a line and pits where the gold was attached.

 

[melissacyruseid]

I am so sorry for your bad experience! What horrible customer service! You should have only had to pay for half of a new stone, as it is not your fault they damaged it! You lost something valuable to you, and you should not have to pay for someone else''s mistakes! Maybe it would help to sit down calmly and write your craftsman a letter explaining how you feel, and where you stand. At the least, it will make you feel better. At the most, maybe he will agree to further help you in the matter...

I know nothing about stones, so I cannot offer any advice or help in that area...But, a nice therapeutic rant on paper might do some good??? Also, have you consulted other jewelers about what to do in this sort of situation, and what to expect as far as compensation? A professional opinion from someone not involved might be helpful?

I wish you luck, and patience abounds....

melissa

 

[gemmy1]

Indy,
Sorry for your ordeal. Our treasured jewelry pieces are so personal that it really hurts when one is damaged or lost.

Having read the original thread, it does seem that the jeweler, after initially not wanting to acknowlege the issue with the sapphire, did step up and try to work through the problem.

From a trade perspective, there are probably several things that the jeweler should have done better, and I'm quite sure he realizes it in retrospect. And he has paid a price in working through the difficulties. Of course, your sapphire was his responsibility when he agreed to take it in for repair. Therefore, he should have inspected it very carefully in your presence for any "pre-existing" conditions such as chips or fractures. He should also have indicated to you (in writing) that there are inherent risks in working on customers stones/jewelry and established limits of his liability. There are normal risks such as chipping stones during setting which is not an uncommon occurrence and to some extent unavoidable. But there are other risks that would fall more squarely on the jewelers good care and custody. The firescale issue probably falls into the latter category. The bench jeweler made an avoidable mistake.

Normally, I would say that the firescale problem should have been corrected by repolishing just the top facets of the stone without any loss of dimensionality or appreciable weight. This suggests to me that there were problems at the girdle line that the cutter also repaired. Sometimes to get a stone repaired and try to return it to it's original appearance with minimal loss, a cutter will take liberties with the facet pattern. I would not dwell too much on that fact alone. But if the stone is substantially less appealing visually, then of course you have a problem.

The pitting along the solder line is clearly visible under magnification. I'm not sure it would be noticeable to the naked eye, but if it is, it can be and should be repaired. And stones that are loose should be tightened. The jeweler has at least tried to satisfy the various problems and has invested in keeping you as a customer. Therefore, he should be willing to address any further issues with your ring. Of course, at some point you may lose confidence in him or just not want to deal with him anymore. It seems like you have been very patient and have allowed him to work things out for you. Hopefully you will both continue on that path and get to a reasonable endpoint. The unfortunate fact is, damage was done and the ring will never be as great a treasure for you.

Hope this adds a little perspective from the trade side. And if this helps, it still looks like quite a pretty ring.

 

[LostSapphire]

Hello Indy.

I''ve been following your story and want to thank you for the update.

I''m sorry that things are still not right.

 

[pjean]

Oh, no. I''m so sorry to hear that things still aren''t right. I can''t believe the pits in the side of the ring! I think you''ve been very patient with this situation, but to me this would be the last straw. The problem with the firecoat was one mistake, and everyone makes mistakes. But to me, this is a whole new mistake or several, and I''d be done.

I hope you find a new jeweler, get the new sapphire mounted, and can breath a sigh of relief.

 

[IndyGemLover]

Hello,

Thanks for all the replies and advice.

I spoke to the jeweler Friday and am to meet with him this week for him to repair the loose diamonds and sapphire. I explained to him that I am not too keen about anyone there doing any more work on the ring after everything that has happened.

I took my ring to two different jewelers today for estimates on repair as well as removing my old sapphire and replacing it with the new one. The estimates range from $200.00 - $350.00 and would take about 10 days to complete. I am told the sapphire bezel must be rebuilt in order to secure the loose diamonds as well as the sapphire because my old sapphire is smaller in diameter from being recut and the bezel is too big for it. I was also told the pits at the soldier line shouldn''t be there. They were both surprised by the whole incident.

I have a new sapphire and want the jeweler to set it in place of the old one while he has the ring there to tighten the diamonds since I am told the sapphire bezel must be rebuilt.

This whole situation has been very frustrating because the ring is very important to me.

I will see what the jeweler has to say this week and decide what my next step should be. I have given him several chances to make this right. I have been patient and very polite up to this point but am not going to put up with his "I''m doing you a favor" sort of attitude when it is because of their carelessness my stone was damaged and had to be sent out to be repolished and recut.

Thanks again!

 

[IndyGemLover]

I forgot to mention above, the pits are seen without magnification and there is a band where it was soldered that is a different color than the the rest of the ring.

 

[IndyGemLover]

Here is a pic of my new sapphire. It measures 7.10 x 5.15 x 4.05 and weighs 1.45carats. It is lighter in tone than the one in my ring now but still vibrant and brilliant.

 

[IndyGemLover]

Here is a side pic of my new sapphire. The pics were taken using my digital camera and microscope under 10X.

 

[LostSapphire]

Hello Indy

Thank you for the update. Although I can see that this has been very, very frustrating, your posting of the new sapphire gives me hope that this will soon be over for you.

 

[IndyGemLover]

Here is a better pic of the solder lines and pits that now surround the entire circumference of the ring. You can see the difference in color as well where the new gold was soldered. The jeweler said that once it became scratched form wearing it that it wouldn''t show as much. I''m not thinking it should show at all.

 

[IndyGemLover]

Hi, Lost

Do you like my new stone? It actually looks darker in the pics than it is in person but the two jewelers I took it to today called it "cornflower blue." I know that it will darken some in the bezel setting so wanted a stone that was lighter in tone.

 

[LostSapphire]

The new stone is pretty, but I think the picture has some dark spots that make it tell to judge the quality. It's really hard to take photos of these things, isn't it?

While dealing with jeff White regarding stone colour, I happened upon this website that I sent to him. It gave him a "spectrum" of colour from which to tell me the colour of stone he was looking at. It was so hard with photos on the internet, because everyone's monitor shows up different. And, I think sometimes the background that the stone is sitting on causes changes in colour.

Have a look here, and send it to the guy with your stone. Ask him where on the spectrum the stone colour lies...it might give you a better idea.

http://crossjewelers.com/sapphire/HowToBuyAsapphire.htm

It really helped me alot to get an idea what colour the stone was....maybe this can help.

LS

ETA the solder marks on the gold would REALLY irritate me. Tell them to at least take the trouble to try and polish them out.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I think the new stone looks really pretty! I think the picture was partly dark because of the lighting, not because of the stone.

 

[LostSapphire]

Date: 6/2/2008 7:49:54 PM
Author: diamondseeker2006
I think the new stone looks really pretty! I think the picture was partly dark because of the lighting, not because of the stone.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[IndyGemLover]

Hello Everyone!

I took my ring in and got the diamonds and sapphire tightened. The jeweler apologized for me having had so much difficulty with the repairs. I am still not happy from the standpoint that it was such an ordeal, my stone was recut and the fact the stone does not sit in the bezel as it should.

I like the jeweler, overall, he''s a nice guy, I just think this is a case where they are better at sales than they are at manufacturing and repair.

I am thinking now that I want to have the sides of the bezel cut down some in order to allow more light into my original sapphire and set the new sapphire in a totally new ring.

Here is a pic that sort of shows what I mean about cutting the bezel down some. It will allow more light into the stone than the solid bezel does now while still providing support to the diamonds that surround it.

 

[LostSapphire]

Date: 6/8/2008 4:55:13 PM
Author: IndyGemLover

Hello Everyone!

I took my ring in and got the diamonds and sapphire tightened. The jeweler apologized for me having had so much difficulty with the repairs. I am still not happy from the standpoint that it was such an ordeal, my stone was recut and the fact the stone does not sit in the bezel as it should.

I like the jeweler, overall, he's a nice guy, I just think this is a case where they are better at sales than they are at manufacturing and repair.

I am thinking now that I want to have the sides of the bezel cut down some in order to allow more light into my original sapphire and set the new sapphire in a totally new ring.

Here is a pic that sort of shows what I mean about cutting the bezel down some. It will allow more light into the stone than the solid bezel does now while still providing support to the diamonds that surround it.

I'm really happy to hear that you are making some progress with this problem!

Maybe I don't understand what you mean, but wouldn't this affect where the bezel meets the girdle (is that the word, ie: the outside edge of the top of the stone?)??

 

[IndyGemLover]

Hi, Lost!!

My goal is or them to remove a bit of the middle along the side of the sapphire so I end up with what some call a half bezel, in other words there would really only be a bezel at the two ends. The reason for this is to allow more light into the stone to lighten it up. I am going to go a few places this week and get their take on it before doing anything.

Yes, the girdle of the sapphire would be exposed on the sides but only a small area of it. The reason my sapphire looks so dark is because no light can get into it except for the top and since it was recut the table is much larger now and so in order to keep my original stone in the ring reshaping the bezel is one solution suggested to me.

I am still toying with having my new sapphire put into the ring, and if I did, would still have them do the half bezel so it doesn''t darken too much. If not, I am going to have it put into a new ring of some sort.

Thanks for your interest and advice!!

 

[LostSapphire]

Date: 6/9/2008 5:16:28 PM
Author: IndyGemLover
Hi, Lost!!

My goal is or them to remove a bit of the middle along the side of the sapphire so I end up with what some call a half bezel, in other words there would really only be a bezel at the two ends. The reason for this is to allow more light into the stone to lighten it up. I am going to go a few places this week and get their take on it before doing anything.

Yes, the girdle of the sapphire would be exposed on the sides but only a small area of it. The reason my sapphire looks so dark is because no light can get into it except for the top and since it was recut the table is much larger now and so in order to keep my original stone in the ring reshaping the bezel is one solution suggested to me.

I am still toying with having my new sapphire put into the ring, and if I did, would still have them do the half bezel so it doesn''t darken too much. If not, I am going to have it put into a new ring of some sort.

Thanks for your interest and advice!!

OH, now i get it. thanks

 

[surfgirl]

Indy, if you''re not happy with the work their bench has done thus far, why would you continue to tweak this setting using the same jeweler? I honestly think you should leave it alone and call it a day. When we see this sort of constant tweaking because a customer is unhappy with her ring, it usually doesn''t seem to turn out well. If you want a different bezel, perhaps it''s best to just re set this sapphire and stones into the setting you want. I know, it has meaning to you. But really, I wouldn''t trust this guy to do what you want, he''s not done a good job so far has he?

 

[FrekeChild]

Ditto to surf. I have no idea why you keep giving them the chance to "make it up to you" when all they keep doing is screwing up?

Bottom line: "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

They keep getting your money, and you aren''t happy with the results, so take your business somewhere else.

 

[partgypsy]

Indy sorry to hear about your problems. That also would really upset me if they did that firecoat thing and had to polish and in your case recut your sapphire. It''s just not the same stone that you brought in.

I love semi bezel settings but as someone else said, best to leave well enough alone at this point. Your ring has a full halo around it and I cannot see with the skills they have already shown them doing this without the ring looking mangled. IMO It would be better for you to set it in a completely different setting if that''s the look you want.